Ok, I ordered this product because my Achilles was killing me after some strenuous exercising I should not have been doing. Anyway, I was in PAIN PAIN PAIN. I called my Dr and the receptionist said they were all booked up and I already had an appointment scheduled for the following month. So, I asked to be put on the waiting list and called if a opening came. Well, no call. I was taking Ibuprofen for the pain and swelling for a few days, Then it got worse when I walked on it, so I knew I had to do something. I read about Achilles injuries and from what I was reading I could tell it wasn't torn because I didn't hear a POP, and I could still move my ankle/foot up and down. So I read that immobilization, moderate stretching and pain meds were the only option. So I ordered this boot from Amazon. The previous purchasers answered all my questions which helped. I wanted to wear it over my shoe, so I could drive when I took it off. But that didn't work, so I had send it back and get a smaller one. The return was fast, and I had a new one in a few days. My wife was on the floor laughing at me when she saw the boot arrive! "Oh Lawdy...the man done ordered a boot from Amazon" were her exact words as she fell over in laughter. Well, I didn't care....Laugh on my love! Now, from the first time I put it on I could tell the difference. It took 90% of the pressure off my Achilles. It felt GREAT, No Pain! Now, when I used it for a long time (all day, lot of walking), my Achilles would get a little sore, but nothing like before. Also note, you need to add a lift insert inside your opposite shoe, or your opposite hip will start hurting from the height difference. They give you extra sponges to go into the boot, but I just put those inside my left shoe to counter the height difference. Boot felt great! Ok, I wore it for about a month, off and on, and my Achilles felt better day by day. So good...that some days I didn't even wear the boot, but it would swell up and be sore by the end of the day if I didn't. So my Dr appointment finally comes, and I go in. I'm in my boot and the Dr is like.....WTF did you do. I explained what happened and how I tried to get in to see her and she's PISSED at her receptionist for not booking me. Then she asks, who gave you the boot? what did they say? I said Amazon, She says, who's Dr Amazon ? LMBAO!!! I say no, the website....Amazon. She almost fell out the chair in laughter! Oh, she had a good gut-busting laugh at my amazon boot. That was until she tells me to take it off and get on the table. My Achilles was still very swollen and twice the size of my other. But not sore at all. She panics, "OMG you probably ruptured this thing. You need to see an Orthopedic today". She starts calling around to find a Ortho Dr that will see me that day. But it's Friday and they are all gone. So she schedule me to see him on Monday. She forgot about all the other things I came for like my cholesterol results. She was in full panic mode. She suspected the tendon was hanging on by a thread and I must stay off it. But by this time, me and my handy-dandy boot was just fine. I'd made it this long with just the boot, I was feeling better, so I was not in a rush to go see / pay for another Dr. Besides, It's my son's birthday weekend and I'm not canceling it for this when I'm in NO PAIN. She tells me to go home stay off of it until Monday. Me and my boot go to the race car track so my son can diver the indoor carts for his birthday. Now, I did sit down, and (as bad as I wanted to) I didn't take off my boot and ride the go-carts with him. Well my Dr calls me on my way to the go cart track and says she want me to go to the emergency room and get a MRI. WTF? Now we all know the price of emergency rooms, even with insurance, and the wait time. However, I could tell she was very concerned and I didn't want her worrying all weekend so after my son's birthday outing, I waited until about 12am and went into the emergency room, in my HANDY DANDY BOOT ! Finally see the ER Dr comes over and I explain everything and she's also laughing at my Amazon Boot. Then she informs me that they don't do MRI's in the ER. Ok, I just wasted 2 hrs. But she does look at my Achilles an tell me that it's probably ruptured but the Orthopedic will be able to better tell. So they didn't charge me anything. YEA! Put on my boot and I hobbled on back home. Well, Monday comes, and I realize my appointment had been changed to 8am instead of the 1pm. My Dr ! So I had to come back on Tuesday. SMH. Finally I see the Orthopedic Dr on Tuesday, Explain everything and why I'm there. He has a good chuckle bout my amazon boot as well. He says my tending is not torn, its tendonitis and very tight. Wearing the boot actually helped keep it from further damage. Then he says the magic words " Mr Terry, you did an EXCELLENT JOB, you did everything I would have done for you". You took pain meds, got it immobilize with a boot and kept wearing it for over a month. That's GREAT! Now, In my mind, I'm doing a touch-down dance on my Dr's and wife's face, because they ridiculed me for ordering this boot. It saved me, time money, and possible surgery had I not ordered it. My whole thinking was....It's 35.00! Can hurt to try it. Not like I can make it worse with the boot. Also, I did order and wear the Ankle Support Brace by Bodyprox as well. But didn't were it very often. Now, I"m not telling you to do this, this is just what I did. I suggest you go to a Dr. and get checked out. I got lucky it's wasn't torn, but this boot was a life saver.
